Many wheeled vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and recreational utility vehicles (RUVs), are provided with power steering assemblies. Power steering assemblies typically use an actuator, such as an electric motor or a hydraulic actuator, to apply torque to a steering assembly of the vehicle in response to a driver of the vehicle actuating the steering assembly so as to assist in steering the vehicle. As would be understood, power steering assemblies advantageously reduce the effort required by the driver for steering the vehicle.
Although many power steering assemblies are programmed to reduce the degree of assistance provided as the speed of the vehicle increases in order to help avoiding false manoeuvres, most do not take into account other factors which may require the degree of assistance to vary. For example, some drivers may prefer to have more or less steering assistance. Also, driving a vehicle on a trail or a road does not usually require the vehicle to make sharp turns, and as such less steering assistance would be required. If however, a vehicle, such as an ATV, is driven in a forest for example, then the vehicle most likely has to make sharp turns, and as such more steering assistance would be required. Finally, some vehicles offer the option of driving all the wheels of the vehicle (all-wheel drive or AWD) or driving only the rear wheels of the vehicle (rear-wheel drive or RWD). In the AWD mode, the joints used to operatively connect the front wheels to the engine are turning which creates more friction than when in the RWD mode (in which case the joints are under load). As such, more steering assistance would be required when operating in the AWD mode than in the RWD mode.
Therefore, there is a need for a vehicle having a power steering assembly in which the amount of steering assist provided varies depending on one or more factors. There is also a need for a method of controlling such a power steering assembly.